AMETHYST

Amethyst: Amethyst is actually a form of Quartz - one of the most common substances on earth.
It is believed to purify, restructure and renew while transforming lower energies into higher, to protects against psychic manipulation and to reduce anger, impatience, and nightmares.
      Purple has long been considered a royal color so it is not surprising that amethyst has been so much in demand during history.
    Leonardo Da Vinci wrote that amethyst was able to dissipate evil thoughts and quicken the intelligence (it obviously worked pretty well for him!)
     Because amethyst was thought to encourage celibacy and symbolize piety, amethyst was very important in the ornamentation of Catholic and other churches in the Middle Ages. It was, in particular, considered to be the stone of bishops and bishops still often wear amethyst rings.
        In Tibet, amethyst is considered to be sacred to Buddha and rosaries are often fashioned from it.
        The Greek work "amethystos" basically can be translated as "not drunken." Amethyst was considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness, which is why wine goblets were often carved from it! The gemstone still symbolizes sobriety.
   The legend of the origin of amethyst comes from Greek myths. Dionysus, the god of intoxication, was angered one day by an insult from a mere mortal and swore revenge on the next mortal that crossed his path, creating fierce tigers to carry out his wish. Along came unsuspecting Amethyst, a beautiful young maiden on her way to pay tribute to the goddess Diana. Diana turned Amethyst into a stature of pure crystalline quartz to protect her from the brutal claws. Dionysus wept tears of wine in remorse for his action at the sight of the beautiful statue. The god's tears stained the quartz purple, creating the gem we know today